Soldier’s Story

It was common in the army to have the troops go on a foraging operation. The army called it “appropriations on site.” It was plain looting. We would be told that the army didn’t want to feed us on that day, so we went looting. We returned with our loot to let the officers select the best for themselves. We kept the scrap and thanked them for the privilege.

The younger generation acts as if it wouldn’t take it. We had no choice. From the time I was born, I learned to obey. The army made certain that you did. If you argued, you suffered. If you wanted to survive, you obeyed and shut up. I did. The fact that forty years later I am able to sit and talk to you about those days proves I am right. I survived.